I am thinking of starting a Support group in the Metro Atlanta (Tucker/Northlake) area. Looking for WLS people at any stage, who would be interested in attending. Please let us know what day of the week that you could NOT attend. We will keep you posted as to our status. Also, let us know if you would like to volunteer in some manner, as we are looking for some hlp to get this group going.

Thanks and we are looking forward to meeting all of you soon!

If you click on my link below, you'll see a link to "Join my support group" at the top of my blog. My blog documents my journey from 326lbs in May '07 to 170 lbs today. Looking forward to getting to know people in the area looking for others to connect with, learn from and share successes with.

Hey Mick-

I live in Decatur, work in Norcross...am definintely interested in a support group. Unfortunately I work until 8pm Mon-Fri so I don't know if my schedule would work for most since I have untraditional hours.

Keep me updated. I just had surgery so I am a newbie. :eek:

Congratulations on your surgery! There is a grup that meets in Lawrenceville as well. I hope the link below works. It will get you plugged into my Yahoo Group. I also have a sister group on Obesity Help. The OH group was pending my completion of Support Group Leader training which wrapped up this weekend. Next up.... scouting a location!

I look forward to meeting you and, in the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to post them here or on the Atlanta WLS Support group below!

Click to join atlantaWLSsupport

Cool, I just joined Mick.

Do you have a bulldog? We have a 7 1/2 month old red brindle named Nash. He's a cutie pie!

Thanks for joining my group!

Lol...no. Well, I have several stuffed bulldawg toys. I went to UGA, home of the Georgia Bulldogs so I have to advertise UGA whenever I get a chance.

Mick, I can't find the field to join your support group. I live in Marietta and would love to attend. Tucker would be tough though. Let me know where/when. Thanks,

Alisa

Hopefully this link lets you join my Yahoo group. There is a link there to the Obesity Help group as well.

Click to join atlantaWLSsupport

Hi, I live in Alpharetta, and would be happy to attend the meetings. Are there any in the Buckhead, N Fulton area?

Thanks!

Hey there Mike. I am definately interested. Any evening works for me!! I am in buckhead.

I have been in contact with Whole Foods to try and have our meetings there. It might make for a more healthy environment where they can go through various shopping options, scenarios and making over recipes to be more healthy.

More to come.

I am in the process of getting the Lapband . I am definitely interested in a support group in Lawrenceville! is it alright if I use the link u provided? Also do you know anyone who had their surgery at Peachtree Bariactrics? If so could u please put me in contact withthem? Thanks and I look forward to hearing from u!

HI!!! I JUST got word from my insurance that I APPROVED!!!! ...after only 4 days!!!! So, next is the scheduling! I would love to find a support group in the Marietta area. Does anyone know where I can find people meeting together for this purpose?

Kim

It seems as though nothing ever came of this proposed support group?

I was banded last August and have been a miserable failure of a bandster ever since. I've read another post saying the Emory support group-- which I researched and was considering joining-- was not very useful as it was mostly geared towards gastric bypass patients. This does not surprise me since I called a few months ago and they told me they had recently killed the lap-band specific group and folded everyone into the gastric bypass group because of a lack of participation in the lap-band specific group.

I really need some commiseration and support right now, does anyone have any local suggestions? I was getting my fills from Fill Centers USA (and very much liked Darlene), but my last fill was December 2007, and my husband thinks I should ask her about a local group.

So far, I have not found a place to host my group. Although I do attend a group called Lawrenceville Wings (you can find it on yahoo groups). I do attend the Emory group and I think it's awesome. They are not promoting a specific surgery and right now there are far more lap banders than RNY patients. Not sure who gave you that bad information.

//I was banded last August and have been a miserable failure of a bandster ever since.//Sorry about your success or lack thereof. You can message me with questions, comments or concerns you have about your band and your program. You can also read my blog at Mick's Corner for more tips on what I eat, how I exercise and what I do to be successful. In the end, this process is 30% what you eat (measuring your portions, not drinking and eating, eating healthy foods, etc.), 30% moving your body more and 40% attitude. That means 70% has nothing to do with the band. Most of the success rest on our shoulders to make healthy choices, move our bodies more and to be positive.

Emory allows you to attend a support group meeting for free. You can find out about them at Emory HealthCare - click on bariatric department. My preference was to attend the RNY group sessions because those patients DO NOT CHEAT. It seemed like the Lap Band patients whined about not being able to eat certain foods and the RNY patients just didn't do that. I found them more helpful. I like that Emory rolled the 2 groups together because the post op instructions we follow are almost the same. There are minor differences but, in general, we all follow very similar rules:

- Measure portions

- Don't drink for an hour after eating

- Take a daily Vitamin

- Increase our daily activity

- Eat a healthy well balanced diet

- Chew food thoroughly

- Take small bites

I try to focus on the similarities and not the differences. There is also a Lap Band group that meets in Atlanta. They are on Yahoo Groups as well. Although, they meet at a bar & grill. I don't find that a support group meeting at a bar & grill makes the healthiest eating decisions. So I don't attend many of their meetings.

Hope this information helps.

Wow, thanks Mick!

I really appreciate the advice and timely response.

I am sorely, sorely lacking in attitude right now, which has crept into my eating behaviors. Believe it or not, I exercise a lot*-- that 30% is nailed down.

(* I run with two Galloway groups for a total of three runs a week, walk my dog 30 minutes a day, and work in other fun activities-- right now I'm doing Wii Fit 30 - 60 minutes a day also, on the weekends my husband I am take our dog hiking, etc.)

Here's the discouraging post about the Emory Bariatrics support group I mentioned: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f31/support-groups-11573/

I called them-- oh, back in February?-- and got the bit about folding the lap banders into the gastric group because of low participation. It was a receptionist or something, not a doc, that I talked to.

It looks like the Emory group meets the second Monday of the month, meaning that June 9th is a meeting? I, unfortunately, have a Galloway group that I am currently run with that meets on Mondays at 6:00 p.m., so I guess the timing is an issue, but I'm going to seriously consider it anyway, given your encouraging response.

I guess I had hopes that this process would be easier than it was. I have had 3 fills and am now at 4 ccs in a 4 cc band, and I do not have enough restriction! I can easily eat 2/3 - 3/4 of what I normally would at a normal meal, and even without drinking anything, my pouch is empty 1 - 2 hours after eating and I'm hungry again. I'm so frustrated at myself (and my husband is frustrated at the surgeon and thinks we should go back to Tijuana for a follow-up) that I think my attitude is getting in the way more than anything else.

I've done all kinds of portion-control and calorie-restriction diets before the band, and the reason they failed most of the time was that I was constantly hungry. I thought for sure the band would at least help with that.

Thanks again for your help and I think I might take you up on the emailing.